Improvement in whiffletrees



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIC.

CHARLES G. 'STEARNS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENTv IN WHIFFLETREES.i

Specification formingfpart of Letters Patent No. 172,354, dated January18, 1876 application filed September 3, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. STEARNs, ot' the city, county, and Stateot' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Whif iietrees, ofwhich the following is a specification:

This invention comprises a draw-clevis of peculiar construction, incombination with a shouldered shackle, a fastening-bolt, and awhiflietree, whereby provision is made for the facile and inexpensiverepair ofthe apparatus when disabled by the wear ofthe draw-clevis, mysaid invention being more especially applicable to iron whifetrees,which ordinarily ontlast a number ot' drawclevises successively attachedthereto.

Figure 1 is a perspective view and partial section of a whiffietreemadeaccording to my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewof the same.

A is the evener or double-tree, and B B are the small or end Whifdetreesof a set7 of whiftietrees, as constructed for use with a twohorse team.The evener A and end whiffletrees B Bare of tubular form, and made ofmetal, the evener having an internal diameter of, say, one inch and ahalf, the end whiffletrees an internal diameter of, say, one inch andaquarter. These may be most conveniently and cheaply made by taking ironpipe of the sizes above indicated and cutting them into suitablelengths, to which the requisite adjuncts are affixed as follows: Uponthe center of the evener A is placed the shackle G, which encircles,say, three-fourths of the same, and is constructed with straight sides,as shown at a. On the inner surface of each of the said sides a, is ashoulder, a. D is the draw-clevis, constructed with a hole, b, at itsouter end for the reception ofthe link o, Whereby, when in use, 4theevener is attached to the draft-hook of a streetcar, the clevis of aplow, or other means of attachment to the vehicle or implement to bedrawn. The shank d of this draw-clevis is straight, to fit between thetwo sides a of the shackle C, as shown in the drawings, and isconstructed at its lower ends with the shoulders c', which tit withinand against the shoulders a of the shackle. The

draw-clevis D is inserted sidewise to its place in the shackle C, and abolt, f, passed through coincident holes provided in the drawclcvis andthe sides to of the shackle, prevents all lateral displacement of thedraw-clevis.

The bolt f may be either riveted in position or provided with a head andnut.

When the apparatus is in use, and draft or strain is exerted upon thedraw-clevis, this draft or strain is entirely upon the shoulders a c, sofar as the draw-clevis and shackle are jointly concerned, the bolt j'being merely to prevent the lateral displacement ot' the drawclevis fromthe shackle, as just explained.

It will be seen that When the draw-clevis, which is the most liable towear, (from the working and friction of the link 0,) becomes Weak orworn out, it may be readily removed by first removing the bolt f, and bethen replaced by another.

The evener is provided at each end with a ring-bolt, g, in which is alink, m, connecting With the staple n of the adjacent end Whittietree B.Each of the latter is provided with a similar rin g-bolt, r, carrying aloose link, fw, to which the traces areI attached when the apparatus isin use. The ringbolts g and r are attached in place by having theirshanks o passed through suitable holes or sockets in the ends of theevener and end Whietrees, as the case may be, the said shanks heiligeither riveted over or provided with suitable nuts.

In order to prevent access of water to the interior of the evener and ofthe end whiftletrees, and the corrosion that would be likely to resultvtherefrom, wooden plugs s may be driven into the ends, as 'indicated inthe sectional portion of Fig. l.

What I claim as my invention is- The draw-clevis `D, constructed withthe shank cl and shoulders o', in combination with the shackle C,provided with the shoulders a', the bolt f, and the Whiietree,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

oHAELEs G. sTEAENs.

Witnesses:

JAMEs A. WHITNEY, ELEERT DEARBOEN.

